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The education and advancement of girls is a global issue. Research proves that when girls are empowered with knowledge and skills, they contribute to the growth of their community. However, many initiatives are confined to small, local projects, partially due to a community’s needs, but also due to funding and resources. Enter Girls Thinking Global (GTG), a new non-profit co-founded by Kathy Hurley, Deb deVries, Cassandra Walker, and Elizabeth Texeira. Its goal is to “create a global network of organizations that are serving girls and women to leverage resources – monetary, in-kind, and communicative – to ensure that every possible dollar and resource is used to improve the quality of life for adolescent girls worldwide.”
“There are many programs around the world focused on helping young girls succeed, but they are often one-woman, one-mission organizations,” explained deVries. “We want to create a strong global community for these organizations where they can connect with each other and gain access to resources to help them achieve their goals. By sharing best practices, we can help them expand their efforts and give new initiatives a head start on success.”
Girls Thinking Global grew from Hurley and deVries, long-time veterans of the educational resources industry, and their desire to make a difference. They teamed up with Walker and Texeira, who both have extensive experience with global education, to tackle the problems facing adolescent girls.
“We were looking for a way to give back as we have been given so much,” said Hurley. “We know there is a need for education, life skills, and leadership training for young girls around the world. Inspired by the Girl Rising curriculum from the Pearson Foundation, I wanted to find a way to help grow the next generation of female leaders.”
Girls Thinking Global, which will officially launch on December 8 at Microsoft in New York, will offer several resources to support their mission.
- A database of organizations working with adolescent girls that will also contain curated resources and help facilitate mentor relationships
- Case studies, a newsletter, and a documentary film series, highlighting initiatives and success stories
- An annual summit focused on education, empowerment, employment, and engagement
- The Making it Happen for Girls Around the Globe program, celebrating individuals and organizations dedicated to the mission
- And advocacy and fundraising on behalf of adolescent girls
Hurley is especially proud of the documentary films and the opportunity to highlight sustainable community programs. The first planned documentary in the series, Jungle Mamas, has already reached its Kickstarter goal. But while the team is incredibly grateful for the donors who are helping make the film possible, deVries and Hurley also emphasized that the documentary would not be possible without the people donating their technical skills.
“We want everyone to understand how important it is for girls everywhere to be educated and encouraged and how that can positively impact society,” said Hurley. “We are not looking to personally make money from this; our goal is to raise awareness and to get people involved. While we certainly appreciate help with the funding, what’s been even more rewarding are the people who are giving their time and expertise to our projects.”
How to get involved in Girls Thinking Global
- Donate to projects like the documentary series.
- Follow and promote the organization and its goals on social media to raise awareness.
- Subscribe to the newsletter and stay informed.
- Look for opportunities where you can volunteer your time and expertise.
“We are willing to talk with anyone who is serious about being a partner in this mission,” added deVries. “The learning resource industry has a history of supporting community outreach; we are looking for people and companies that want to assist us on the global stage.”
For more information go to www.girlsthinkingglobal.org.